Negotiations are ongoing between unions and railway companies. If they fail to reach an agreement, the first national rail strike in 30 years could begin early Friday.
Although Amtrak is not involved in the negotiations, service has already been adjusted on the right track that could be affected by the dispute. All long-distance Amtrak trains are canceled beginning Thursday, September 15.
Here’s what Amtrak passengers need to know about the situation:
Amtrak flashy?
No. “The negotiations do not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce,” Amtrak said in a statement earlier this week.
So why is Amtrak canceling service?
Amtrak is preemptively suspending some service because its track will be affected if freight rail workers strike.
“Amtrak operates nearly all of our 21,000 route miles outside the Northeast Corridor (NEC) on tracks owned, maintained and dispatched by freight railroads,” said Marc Magliari, Amtrak spokesman.
The rail passenger carrier said it would only operate trains this week that it “can ensure will have sufficient time to reach their final destinations at 12.01am on Friday 16 September”.
Will Acela service be affected?
No. Amtrak said most trips within the Northeast Corridor (Boston, New York and Washington) would not be affected and Acela would operate a full schedule. Branches related to Albany, New York; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Springfield, Massachusetts, would also not be affected.
Amtrak expects minimal changes to Northeast Regional services.
Which routes are affected?
Amtrak announced that all long-distance trains would be canceled starting Thursday. Some routes were suspended earlier in the week.
The cancellations “could be followed by impacts on most state-supported routes,” Amtrak said Wednesday. Here’s a breakdown of the suspended services:
Services suspended from Tuesday 13 September:
Services suspended from Wednesday 14 September:
Services suspended as of Thursday, September 15:
Amtrak said it will try to contact passengers whose trains are canceled at least 24 hours in advance.
Can I change my ticket?
Yes. Amtrak says it will contact customers who are or may be affected with offers to change their travel dates. There will be no difference in rates for departures until October 31.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. Affected customers contacted by Amtrak may receive a full refund with no cancellation fees.
Will commuter service be affected?
Yes, rail service not provided by Amtrak could be affected by a freight strike. Many passenger rail services operate on tracks owned by freight railroads, such as Metra in Chicago and the Maryland Transit Administration’s MARC trains. More on that here. Check directly with local rail providers about potential disruptions.
CNN’s Omar Jimenez, Geneva Sands, Vanessa Yurkevich, Chris Isidore, Matt McFarland and Pete Muntean contributed to this report. Top image: Amtrak cars and locomotives are in a yard Aug. 25 in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Boe)